*Junior Minister, Joe O’Brien visiting Magowna House. Photograph: John Mangan
INCH LOCALS have agreed in part to enter a mediation process as suggested following their meeting with Junior Minister, Joe O’Brien (GP).
O’Brien who is Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities met with representatives of a community group from Inch on Thursday afternoon. It was his second visit to the county to deal specifically with the arrival of over thirty male asylum seekers to Magowna House in Inch.
During the meeting on Thursday afternoon, the Junior Minister offered the Inch delegation a structured and agreed mediation process that would include Inch locals and residents of Magowna House, provided both parties accepted this. No further international protection applicants will be sent to Magowna House while the mediation process is ongoing.
In a statement to The Clare Echo, Inch residents thanked the Junior Minister for fulfilling the commitment he gave a month ago to meet with their group again.
However, they were frustrated with some comments made by the Dublin TD subsequent to their meeting. “We were frustrated and disappointed by some of the Minister’s media comments following our meeting where he suggested that the Women of Inch group and the content of their letter was not represented in the meeting, this is incorrect. We feel that we were very clear in last Thursday’s meeting and in other communications that the Women of Inch are an integral part of the peaceful community protest. We have clarified this misunderstanding with the Minister”.
Locals in Inch said mediation between their community and the men at Magowna House “is not necessary” as “there is no dispute between the Inch community and the Magowna House residents. That being said we would be happy to enter into mediation with the decision makers who chose to open this all male facility in rural Inch”.
Magowna house “is not fit for purpose” in housing international protection applicants due to its rural location, lack of amenities and transport links to Ennis, Inch residents argued. “The fact that sixty plus males are going to be housed in our rural area continues to cause huge stress for our community, the nationality of these men is not important, numbers need to be kept at a lower level and, ideally, accommodation should have a gender mix or focused towards families”.
Following a public meeting over the weekend, Inch locals issued the Junior Minister with an update on Monday.
“In the coming days, we intend to reach out to our local public representatives again, both Council & Oireachtas members, to once again to see if they can help us find a common sense solution to resolve the ongoing dispute, we know that some have been working on our behalf in the background and we hope that with renewed focus a breakthrough can be made,” the statement added.
